Why does Mike Pence keep getting himself into such deplorable situations?

Donald Trump’s vice-presidential nominee went on CNN on Monday evening, trying to make hay from Hillary Clinton’s calling half of Trump’s backers racists and other “deplorables.” But the appearance backfired when Pence declined to label former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke “deplorable,” saying, “I’m not in the name-calling business.”

But Pence, appearing before the cameras with House Republican leaders at Republican National Committee headquarters, said he had no wish to amend his description of Duke.

Pence allowed that the white nationalist is a “bad man” whose support “we do not want.” But, he repeated, “I’m not in the name-calling business,” he said, because “civility is essential” and “I’m also not going to validate the language that Hillary Clinton used.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and the other leaders nodded as Pence said these words. Perhaps they understand why a white supremacist deserves “civility” at a time when Trump has dispensed with such niceties for everybody else – and why it’s name-calling to identify Duke as “deplorable” but not to call him a “bad man.”

Such awkward positions have become routine for Pence since joining Trump on the ticket. I’ve always thought him both honorable and amiable, and I accept his friends’ assessment that he took the job in hopes of changing Trump. Instead, it seems that Trump has changed him.

There was Pence, once a hawkish conservative, joining Trump last week in praise of Vladimir Putin, calling him “a stronger leader in his country than Barack Obama has been in this country.” (Maybe that has something to do with Putin being a dictator?)

There was Pence last month joining Trump in spreading conspiracy theories, declaring on talk radio that “we’ve got to get to the bottom” of whether an Iranian scientist was killed because of “the revelations in Hillary Clinton’s email.” The executed scientist, Shahram Amiri, had outed himself.

There was Pence in July, retreating from his support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, embracing Trump’s border wall and saying Mexico will “absolutely” pay for it. That same month, Pence, who once called Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims entering the country “offensive and unconstitutional,” declared himself “very supportive” of suspending immigration from countries with terrorist influences.

Pence has picked his battles with Trump. He declined to join Trump in asking Russia to hack Clinton’s email, or in raising doubts that President Obama was born in the U.S. Pence endorsed both Ryan and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in their primaries when Trump wouldn’t.

In this, he is very much like the man he stood with at the RNC on Tuesday, Ryan, who has condemned Trump for his “textbook” racism, for an “anti-Semitic” and “ridiculous” tweet, and for his praise of Putin.

But as polls show Trump cutting Clinton’s lead, Ryan swallowed any misgivings Tuesday morning and embraced the ticket almost as enthusiastically as Pence had. “We feel the wind at our backs,” said Ryan, introducing Pence, his former congressional colleague, as “the next vice president.”

Indeed, Pence and the House leaders made it plain at their joint session Tuesday that they were wholly and unreservedly embracing Trump. Reporters crowded into a stifling RNC lobby and listened to Republican leaders recite Trump’s slogan:

Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., saw “people all around the country excited about this optimism that their ticket, the Trump-Pence ticket, is giving to making America great again.”

Kevin McCarthy of California, the tongue-tied majority leader, detected “a lot of excitement as (Pence) travels across the country with a number of members joining him in the future of making America great again.”

Pence thanked House Republicans for “rallying to the cause to make America great again.”

Here at MaineToday Media we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion.

To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use. Click here to flag and report a comment that violates our terms of use.

gadfly371

Again, more biased reporting from the post and its henchman, Millbank. All brought to you by the Press Herald as “objective” reporting. And the libbies whine about MD Harmon. You libs are fortunate you don’t experience the daily progressive garbage by these two

Bob S

Right, because this is not at all what I hear on Fox, Newsmax, Breightbart, Carr, Coulter, Hannity or Rush or ! The inhumanity…

gadfly371

Exactly, Bob! Start watching “the truth”!

Bob S

if you believe those sources are unbiased then I could understand your comments!

Stephen Simpson

What part of Millbank’s opinion column is not true?

drugsandkittens

I know – those darn “facts” getting in the way of your backwards worldview. What’s a bigot to do in this world of information?

RichardBroderickJr

A candidate that mocks the physically handicapped is deplorable.

A candidate that suggests falsely that he saw thousands of muslims celebrating in New Jersey on 9/11 is deplorable.

Suggesting falsely, and for years, and even after overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that the President was not born in the USA, is deplorable.

Suggesting falsely that your opponent’s father is associated with the assassination of President Kennedy, is deplorable.

A candidate that calls a federal judge born in America a “Mexican” is deplorable.

A candidate that defrauds students is deplorable.

A candidate that says that wages are too high is deplorable.

“Textbook racism” is deplorable.

A candidate that Brags about his wealth while he stiffs creditors before and after multiple bankruptcies is deplorable.

A candidate that says that we should have “much more torture” is deplorable and if you support “much more torture” then you are deplorable too.

.

Lil Devil

*Low intelligence voters and pundits TRYING to sound relevant about a candidate are also deplorable.

That’s the real issue. Trump is a symptom, not the problem. And we better get a handle on the problem and work on fixing it.

This country has been flying down the tubes for the last sixty years. The landing won’t be pleasant.

gadfly371

For you it won’t!

7T5IV

You lose all credibility when you say things like that.

drugsandkittens

How so? Trump’s campaign is a hate movement and Pence, for one, is homophobic. The campaign is certainly not espousing conservative ideals.

7T5IV

Saying Trump supporters are white supremacists is just wrong and a weak attempt to stir up racial problems. Trump is not into hate, that is a liberal media thing that is being eaten up by the low info crowd. Pence isn’t homophobic either. Calling names isn’t working this time around for the left.

drugsandkittens

Well according to Trump — Mexicans are rapists and god forbid a Mexican becomes a judge because he or she won’t be able to do their jobs because, you know, they’re Mexican … same with Muslims too. Aside, all terrorists are Muslims and vice versa. Also, you should look into the housing discrimination issues with Trump and his POS father , who probably had a Hitler portrait on his wall.

If you support Trump — you support a hate movement. Period. He ‘s not a conservative and the GOP has lost credibility for it’s failure to not become the party of bigots.

Pence may not be afraid of gay people, but he sure does hate them. “Societal collapse was always brought about following an advent of the deterioration of marriage and family” — he said that when he supporting an amendment to the constitution that would ban same-sex marriage. In 2013 he wanted to divert funding for HIV to gay-conversion therapy. He was also on the Board of the Indiana Family Institute — an anti-LGBT hate group (as are most “conservative” groups that have the word “family” in it). That’s all just tip of the iceberg stuff. So, yes – -he’s an awful homophobic bigot.

Lil Devil

“Well according to Trump — Mexicans are rapists….”

You’re spouting hate speech and lies. Trump said SOME are rapists, etc. The ILLEGAL ones primarily, and that there’s a reason they’re coming here ILLEGALLY.

Can you understand that, or do you need help?

The Mexican judge that Trump took issue with is/was a member of ‘La Raza’, a semi-radical group in full support of turning certain areas into the slums found in Mexico. All in the name of ‘diversity’ and ‘rights’ of course.

Can you understand that, or do you need help?

Lil Devil

People are leaving leftist idealogy in droves. They’re sick of going backwards.

Stephen Simpson

I wonder if our Governor thinks David Duke is deplorable?

drugsandkittens

Pence has always been deplorable — he’s a homophobic bigot and, sadly, the GOP has embraced an anti-LGBT platform. He’s in the right basket (no pun intended).